Garment hanger

ABSTRACT

A strut-type garment hanger is disclosed comprising two different length strands of wire or similar material, the strands being entwined and biased to create a longitudinal flexure within a strand holding tube and the overall hanger to give rigidity.

United States Patent [191 Barnes et al.

[4 1 Jan. 1,1974

[ GARMENT HANGER [75] Inventors: Dayton W. Barnes; Robert D.

Chiles, both of Greeneville, Tenn.

[73] Assignee: Ja-San, Inc., Greeneville, Tenn.

[22] Filed: July 11, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 270,672

[52] US. Cl. 223/85 [51] Int. Cl A4ld 27/22 [58] Field of Search 223/88, 98, 85

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,260,607 10/1941 Coney 223/88 8/1935 Young 223/88 11/1940 Coney 223/88 Primary Examiner-Geo. V. Larkin Attorney-J. Gibson Semmes [57] ABSTRACT A strut-type garment hanger is disclosed comprising two different length strands of wire or similar material, the strands being entwined and biased to create a 1ongitudinal flexure within a strand holding tube and the overall hanger to give rigidity.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures GARMENT HANGER BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION It has been known to construct garment hangers with a wire strand structure having free ends thereof'con-' nected by ,some element, normally a. hanger tube whereon trousers or the like can be hung. Such arrangements in recent years have contained a hanger hook for disposing the hanger on a rack or bar. The hanger hook portion is connected to the garment engaging strand portion by a neck normally twisted, so as to impose structural strength to the hanger. Such arrangements conventionally possess a double strand neck, for. reinforcement thereof. The double strand, being of enlarged cross-section, often sticks in tubular conveyors-at cleaning establishments and complicates the identity ticketing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the assembled invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an enlarged, fragmentary view of 'parts of the invention; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a fragmentary view of the invention as seen from line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS It is an object of the present invention to substitute a less expensive single strandfor the double stranded hanger hook of known strut-type garment hangers,

while employing merely conventional strength garment hanger wire or similar light resilient material. To that end, a specially constructed garment hanger having a short strand 30 and a long strand is shown, reference FIG. 1. The short strand comprises a jacket or garment shoulder engaging portion 32, and an end portion 24 engaging the long strand 20. The long strand 20 comprises a similar jacket or garment shoulder engaging portion 22, and a neck portion 34 engaging the short strand 30. Long strand 20 includes a hook portion 40. The free ends of both strands 20, 30 comprise intermediate bends 26, 36 and terminal bends 28, 38 which will be described in more detail below. A reinforced hanger tube strut 50 is shown disposed connecting the tory structural strength would be significantly lacking.

Strut-type garment hangers are known which comprise a tube strut engaging bend at each .of the free ends of the strands. These bends are frequently constructed so as to vertically space the jacket or garment shoulder engaging portion a distance from the tube strut. Garments, such as pants and trousers, can then be hung easily on the tube strut. In'recent commercial applications, this vertical spacing has been increased to facilitate the hanging of two or more garments on the tube strut. Such spacing, along with the tendency to rotate about the entwined portion in the: present invention as described thus far, only serves to weaken the structural strength of the hanger as described.

To overcome these difficulties, in accordance with this invention the free end of each of the strands 20,30 is given two tube engaging bends. Strand 20 is given intermediate the end thereof atube engaging bend 26 and a terminal bend 28. Similarly, the free end of strand 30 is given an intermediate tube engaging bend 36 and a terminal bend 38. The terminal bend of each of these strands is opposite the respective intermediate bend.

As shown in FIG. 3, a third bend or flexure, imporant to theconcept of this invention, is also given to the strands free ends. This third bend is created by bending the strand wire or similar material torsionally about the longitudinal axis of the wire, or the like. Such a bend can be described as a longitudinal or axial (if the wire is cylindrical) flexure of the strands 20,30 in the intermediate 26,36 and terminal 28,38 bends of each of the free ends of the strand. This longitudinal flexure results in leaving a cat in the strands 20,30 outside the vertical plane of the hanger, as can be seen from the fragmentary plan views of FIGS. 3 and 4. It is the preferred embodiment of this invention to have these longitudinal flexures to be toward opposite sides of the vertical plane of the hanger, as shown generally in FIG. 3.

The forces exerted by the longitudinal flexure can be partially realized after having had reference to FIGS. 3

I and 4 in the drawings. In FIG. 3, for example, an endinal flexures are compressed and exert a side force within the usually cylindrical wall of the strut 50. In FIG. 4 is shown a cross-sectional view of the tube strut of FIG. 2 along the lines 4--4 with the free ends of the strands placed within the hollow strut 50. As can be seen, the resilient free end of the strand 30 is compressed, as shown, and exerts lateral forces against the cylindrical wall of the strut 50. The compression thus caused within the strut 50 causes torsional force within the strand 30 in the direction of the arrows depicted in FIG. 4. The insertion of the free end of strand 20 in the opposite end of the strut 50 causes similar torsional and lateral forces, but in an opposite direction, against the cylindrical wall of the strut 50 and within the strand 20.

The torsional forces in the respective strands 20 and 30 act complementally to press the respective neck portions 24, and 34 of the strand into increased frictional engagement with each other, thereby efiectively resisting rotational movement thereabout. These interacting forces, it can be appreciated, give rigidity to the overall hanger structure and compensate for the decreased structural strength resulting from. having only a single strand in the hanger hook 40. By this construction, the conventional strut-type double stranded hook portion is eliminated, resulting in substantial savings of hanger wire and the like material. The compressive force of the flexure causes the free end of each strand to frictionally engage the interior wall of the strut 50, and thereby resists separation from the strut 50.

We claim:

1. A garment hanger comprising:

A. a pair of joined strands of resilient material having longitudinal axes, at least one of the strands being bent to form a hanger hook, the respective strands being twisted together immediately beneath said hook, each of said strands further including a free end; a bend' disposed intermediate the free end of each of the strands, a terminal bend disposed at the termination of the free end of each of the strands, at least one of said intermediate and said terminal bends in each strand having a longitudinal flexure about the axis of the strand; and

B. a rigid tubular strut adapted to engage the free end of each of the strands in confining engagement, whereby the longitudinal flexure of the bends imposes forces upon the ends of the strut to effect by confinement within the strut, increased frictional engagement of the strands at said neck, thereby resisting rotational movement thereabout and rigidizing the overall hanger.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hanger hook consists of a single strand.

3. The garment hanger according to claim 1, wherein both the intermediate and terminal bends of each strand have longitudinal flexures about the axis of the strand, the flexures in the intermediate and terminal bends being oppositely disposed relative to the longitudinal axis of the strand.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3,'wherein the hanger hook consists of a single strand.

5. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the longitudinal flexures of the intermediate bends are toward opposite sides of a vertical plane of the hanger.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the hanger hook consists of a single strand.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal flexures of the bends are toward opposite sides of a vertical plane of the hanger.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the hanger hook consists of a single strand. 

1. A garment hanger comprising: A. a pair of joined strands of resilient material having longitudinal axes, at least one of the strands being bent to form a hanger hook, the respective strands being twisted together immediately beneath said hook, each of said strands further including a free end; a bend disposed intermediate the free end of each of the strands, a terminal bend disposed at the termination of the free end of each of the strands, at least one Of said intermediate and said terminal bends in each strand having a longitudinal flexure about the axis of the strand; and B. a rigid tubular strut adapted to engage the free end of each of the strands in confining engagement, whereby the longitudinal flexure of the bends imposes forces upon the ends of the strut to effect by confinement within the strut, increased frictional engagement of the strands at said neck, thereby resisting rotational movement thereabout and rigidizing the overall hanger.
 2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hanger hook consists of a single strand.
 3. The garment hanger according to claim 1, wherein both the intermediate and terminal bends of each strand have longitudinal flexures about the axis of the strand, the flexures in the intermediate and terminal bends being oppositely disposed relative to the longitudinal axis of the strand.
 4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the hanger hook consists of a single strand.
 5. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the longitudinal flexures of the intermediate bends are toward opposite sides of a vertical plane of the hanger.
 6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the hanger hook consists of a single strand.
 7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal flexures of the bends are toward opposite sides of a vertical plane of the hanger.
 8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the hanger hook consists of a single strand. 